If you’re new to using the pressure cooker, you’re going to love this round-up of healthy and easy Instant Pot recipes for beginners. Learn to make rice, soup, potatoes, beans, and veggies. All of these recipes are great for meal prepping or for quick weeknight meals.

collage of instant pot recipes for beginners.

The pressure cooker is one of the easiest and most efficient ways to prepare healthy foods. I use it on a daily basis to make everything from baked sweet potatoes, rice, chicken, soups, stews, and more.

Learning how to use the Instant Pot can be a bit of a learning curve, though. The most common complaint I get about the Instant Pot is that people have purchased one, but it’s still in the box.

I was guilty of that, too. When I first got an electric pressure cooker several years ago, I was scared of it. I was afraid of not doing it correctly and I was worried I wouldn’t be able to figure it out.

It does take some work to get started using an electric pressure cooker. That’s why I put together a whole step-by-step guide for how to use the Instant Pot.

But, once you’ve got the Instant Pot out of the box and you’ve done your water test, then you should be ready to go. Now it’s time to start making healthy food for your family! Here are some of my favorite easy recipes for beginners.

Easy Instant Pot Recipes for Beginners

This list of Easy Instant Pot Recipes is organized into two main categories: one-ingredient recipes and easy meals and side dishes. As you get started using your Instant Pot, feel free to reach out and ask me any questions in the comments section.

You can also join my free Facebook group where I share easy and healthy Instant Pot recipes. Or, you can see my entire index of gluten-free Instant Pot recipes.

FAQs About Using the Instant Pot

What is the first thing I should cook in my Instant Pot?

You should do the water test according to the directions on the Instant Pot. Then, try something simple like baked potatoes, rice, or a vegetable.

Is the Instant Pot really faster at cooking food?

Sometimes yes and sometimes no. What nobody tells you is that it takes at least 10 minutes for almost any food to come to pressure in the Instant Pot. Then, there is the cook time and the natural release time (unless you use the quick release). So, while the food doesn’t necessarily cook instantly, using a pressure cooker is a more hands-off way of preparing food. And, some foods will cook faster than in the oven, including potatoes.

What is the best easy Instant Pot cookbook?

I have a round-up of the best Instant Pot cookbooks. You may also wish to check out my Instant Pot-authorized cookbook, The Healthy Meal Prep Instant Pot Cookbook! Other than that, check out my index of Instant Pot recipes.

Easy Instant Pot Recipes for Beginners

This post includes easy and healthy Instant Pot healthy, basic recipes for beginners, including basic cooked proteins, soup, vegetables, and rice. Once you learn how to cook these healthy basics, you will find that you'll be so much more comfortable using the pressure cooker.

Basics

Here are some of my favorite single-ingredient basic recipes for the Instant Pot.

Easy Meals & Side Dishes

Here are a few of the easiest Instant Pot side dish and main dish recipes you'll ever find. These recipes are all healthy and made using real food ingredients, too!

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About the Author: Carrie Forrest is the author of the best-selling Instant Pot-authorized cookbook, The Healthy Meal Prep Instant Pot Cookbook. She has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition and receives nearly 10 million annual visitors to her site. Send Carrie a message through her contact form.